Two-time Tony Award winner Chita Rivera stars in a new staging of the Kander and Ebb musical The Visit at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Cast member Chris Newcomer shares these exclusive photos from opening night!

PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Opening Night!" A Two-Show Day at Williamstown With Chris Newcomer of The Visit, Starring Chita Rivera

PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Opening Night!" A Two-Show Day at Williamstown With Chris Newcomer of The Visit, Starring Chita Rivera

Two-time Tony Award winner Chita Rivera stars in a new staging of the Kander and Ebb musical The Visit at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Cast member Chris Newcomer shares these exclusive photos from opening night!

56 PHOTOS

Just a casual morning selfie.
Chris Newcomer and Paul Fox

A clay mask is just what the doctor ordered after a long week of tech in Makeup. Kiehl's is the best!
Chris Newcomer and Paul Fox

First stop is always Spring Street Market Cafe, an awesome place for tasty treats and great service!
Chris Newcomer and Paul Fox

Breakfast Sammy!
Chris Newcomer and Paul Fox

Tunnel City Coffee is always second, a great Williamstown Mainstay!
Chris Newcomer and Paul Fox

We decided to stop by the weekly farmer's market. I contemplated buying flowers...
Chris Newcomer and Paul Fox

Then I remembered I'm currently housed in a dorm here with no vases so I went about my merry way.
Chris Newcomer and Paul Fox

Coconut water and decaf iced coffee should be the sponsors of my summer.
Chris Newcomer and Paul Fox

Getting ready to head to the outlets to find an opening night outfit with my friend Jesse. This is our dorm common room, as dorms go it's pretty good!
Chris Newcomer and Paul Fox

Off to Lee to find something nice to wear tonight!
Chris Newcomer and Paul Fox

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Tony Award-winning director John Doyle (Sweeney Todd, Company) was enlisted to bring a fresh approach to the musical, which now debuts in a streamlined, 95-minute version. Performances began July 31 for a run through Aug. 17.

Rivera originated the role of Claire Zachanassian when The Visit had its debut in September 2001 at Chicago's Goodman Theatre and later repeated her work at the Signature Theatre in 2008. Despite setbacks throughout the show's out-of-town development, the creative team and key producers remain hopeful that The Visit will have a New York life.

"We've been dying for New York audiences to have it," Tony-winning book writer McNally told Playbill.com in a 2011. "I think it's riper than ever to be heard." Kander added, "This piece has been a very gratifying experience. When we got it to the point that it was at, at the Signature, I think we all felt proud and satisfied. The fact that it was not coming to New York seemed strange and sad for a lot of reasons."

In recent years Williamstown developed the new musicals Far From Heaven and The Bridges of Madison County, both of which set New York debuts within a year of their premieres there. No announcement of a New York transfer for The Visit has been made.

According to Williamstown, "Rivera embodies Claire Zachanassian, the oft-widowed richest woman in the world, in The Visit. When Claire returns to the hardship-stricken town of her birth, the locals pray that her wealth will bring them a new lease on life, but the carefully plotted renewal she offers carries a dreadful price. Sardonic and morally complex, The Visit asks: What can your heart afford?"

In a fall 2013 interview with Playbill.com, Rivera said, "It’s, to me, very exciting, very unique, dark [and] passionate. It’s one of the last scores Freddie and John wrote [together]."